FAULT TOLERANT PHYSICAL LAYER SOLUTION FOR FOUNDATION FIELDBUS H1 NETWORKS OR OTHER NETWORKS IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESS CONTROL AND AUTOMATION SYSTEMS

• US 20170111212A1
• Filed: 04/07/2016
• Published: 04/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Alam, Mohd J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,069,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/58 Repeater circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults

Abstract

An apparatus includes at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion from the first portion. The apparatus also includes repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more devices associated with the first portion maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion. The at least one processing device could identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages and detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; and

a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more devices associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion of the network segment.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication controller configured to receive and decode messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment;

wherein the at least one processing device is configured to detect the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to:

identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and

detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

multiple medium attachment units configured to couple the apparatus to the first and second portions of the network segment and to provide the messages to the communication controller.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

multiple switches configured to be closed to couple the repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

one or more switches configured to be closed to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second portions of the network segment.

8. A system comprising:

a network segment comprising (i) cabling that couples multiple junction boxes configured to be coupled to multiple devices and (ii) power supplies configured to provide power to the multiple devices; and

a dynamic synchronization repeater comprising;

at least one processing device configured to detect a cable fault that divides the network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; and

a repeater configured to communicatively connect the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment such that one or more of the multiple devices that are associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more other of the multiple devices that are associated with the second portion of the network segment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises a communication controller configured to receive and decode messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment; and

the at least one processing device is configured to detect the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing device is configured to:

identify whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and

detect the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises multiple medium attachment units configured to couple the dynamic synchronization repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment and to provide the messages to the communication controller.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises multiple switches configured to be closed to couple the repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the dynamic synchronization repeater further comprises one or more switches configured to be closed to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second portions of the network segment.

15. A method comprising:

detecting, using at least one processing device, a cable fault that divides a network segment into first and second portions and that communicatively disconnects the second portion of the network segment from the first portion of the network segment; and

communicatively connecting the second portion of the network segment to the first portion of the network segment using a repeater such that one or more devices associated with the first portion of the network segment maintain communication with one or more devices associated with the second portion of the network segment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving and decoding messages transmitted over the first and second portions of the network segment;

wherein detecting the cable fault comprises detecting the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein detecting the cable fault using at least some of the decoded messages comprises:

identifying whether one or more of multiple linking devices coupled to the network segment are operating as active link masters using at least some of the decoded messages; and

detecting the cable fault when more than one of the linking devices is operating as an active link master.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

closing multiple switches to couple the repeater to the first and second portions of the network segment.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the repeater comprises multiple bus terminators configured to be activated in response to the detected cable fault, different bus terminators associated with different ones of the first and second portions of the network segment.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

closing one or more switches to couple at least one of the bus terminators to at least one of the first and second portions of the network segment.